New iPhones may give some boost to Apple’s sales
Although US-based tech giant Apple has not given any details of its upcoming products launch, rumors are circulating about new, lower-priced iPhones with 5G capability, which could give a boost to Apple’s performance in the Chinese market, industry analysts said on Wednesday.
Witnessing the Trump administration’s relentless clampdown on Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies, Apple has the “sword of Damocles” hanging over its head regarding sales in the Chinese market, they said.
Apple announced on its official website that its launch of new products is scheduled for September 15 (US time).
It will be an online event, where it is expected to reveal new products including an Apple Watch and iPad models. New iPhones, which Apple typically unveils during an event at its headquarters in California in September, might come later this year, CNBC reported.
Apple is expected to announce four new iPhones this year – two regular iPhone 12 models and two iPhone 12 Pro models.
Some Chinese netizens said on Wednesday on the domestic Twitterlike Weibo that they have been expecting new iPhones for a long time, and they will buy the devices because of their 5G capability and what are rumored to be more affordable prices.
Other Chinese consumers said they would wait for Huawei’s flagship smartphone models Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro, which will reportedly be launched in October, and they compare the two brands.
Sun Yanbiao, head of Shenzhenbased research firm N1mobile, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Apple had hoped its 5G iPhone would be a driving force to boost its sales and market share in China.
“But it is unknown whether the new iPhones would be put on the market as expected after the launch, since Apple’s inventory has been disrupted by the pandemic,” said Sun.
Apple is concerned that its performance in the Chinese market may be affected since Huawei, its biggest rival in the high-end mobile phone segment, has been relentlessly cracked down on by the US government. “It’s like a sword of Damocles hanging over the company’s head,” said Sun.